Plant and flower pots on the market have different sizes and shapes and are used with or without a saucer, namely a dish shaped base forming a reservoir for receiving excess water draining through drainage hole(s) of the pot. Whenever it is desired or required to support the plant against tilting, a rod like plant support is pushed into the soil and the plant attached or wound around the same. However, the support itself often tends to tilt, especially if the plant has attained a large size, since the soil does not constitute an efficient holder for the plant support. Moreover, it is often difficult to select a particular (i.e., excentric) location for the upright support rod within the plant pot, e.g. to adapt to variable levels of density of foliage of the plant.
Various attempts have been made to solve these problems.
For instance, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,739,523 issued Jun. 19, 1973 to John Martin Tofli, there is described a plant support which is integral with a base plate, the plant support extending through a central drainage hole of the plant pot and the base plate sandwiched between the bottom of the plant pot and the saucer.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,020,592 the saucer is provided with an integral socket extending through the central drainage hole of the flower pot and receiving and holding a plant support which extends centrally through the plant pot and outwardly therefrom.
In both these patents, it is essential to provide a saucer for the flower pot. In both these patents, the plant support or stake is disposed centrally of the plant pot and therefore constitutes an obstruction to the proper central positioning of the plant within the plant pot.
In French patent No. 1,581,467 issued Aug. 11, 1969, to George Bride-Etivant, a plant support is formed with a bottom liquid reservoir which is inserted within a plant pot. Here again, the plant holder is centrally located and the liquid reservoir occupies excessive room within the plant pot limiting the growth of the plant roots.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,893,169 issued Jul. 7, 1959 to I. L. Shepherd, and 4,509,289 issued Apr. 9, 1985 to Seymour Fogelson, there are shown plant supports having holders directly inserted within the plant pot and which occupy considerable space therein, therefore compromising the growth of the plant roots.
In French patent application No 2 558 682 published 2 Aug. 1985 to Maurice CHEVALIER, there is disclosed a plant pot support member consisting of a flat discoid base plate 3 transversely supporting an excentric socket 2. The socket 2 includes a top mouth for through-engagement by a plant support rod. The base plate 3 has either a large single drain hole 6 (FIG. 2), or a plurality of smaller drain holes 7 (FIG. 3). Triangular upright stay plates 4, 5, radially outwardly project from the upright socket 2 and edgewisely anchor to the base plate 3, whereby accidental axial tilt of the socket 2 under plant-borne loads may be prevented. The radial stay plates 4, 5, extend short of the circumferential edge of the discoid base plate 3.
French patent No 2,524,256 published in 1984 in the name of Azoulay discloses a plant support including a number of radial fingers of adjustable length. The radial fingers are connected at their inner ends to an upright socket, and at their radially outer ends to the circumferential edge of the plant pot top mouth. These fingers again prevent accidental axial tilt of the socket under plant-borne forces, but are cumbersome and would make it difficult for the plant keeper to access the plant pot about the base plate portion of the holder.
There also exists a plant pot comprising a lower water chamber under the plant pot per se, the bottom of which consists of a screen partly covered by a cloth in contact with the soil and draining the water from the water chamber by capillarity. To anchor this screen, a plurality of studs are provided, which protrudes over the screen. The plant holder must avoid these studs in order to rest directly on the screen with the rod upright. The soil in the pot, when being watered, becomes more fluid and does not properly support the holder. Therefore, it is important that the holder be supported by the screen or bottom wall. Otherwise, the purpose of the plant holder of making the plant grow as straight as possible is not obtained.